Your progress?

I was just curious on how every ones progress is coming. Mine is incredible since becoming a member. I have checked out a number of other sites and can honestly say 98% of them totally suck. Not only is my playing improving but I am hearing things in songs that I've heard but not known what they were. I am also finding that my musical interest has broadened as my knowledge increases. I could ramble on but that is not the purpose of this thread. I am really interested in everybody's progress as well as your experiences.

Hey Carlos, I'm glad you're making a lot of progress and really enjoying learning more about guitar and music in general. I started playing 2 1/2 years ago and for the most part I've enjoy my progress.

Like you I tried so many other sites and I agree that Guitar Tricks is the best out there. I have to admit though I have a major tendency to try out stuff way to advance for me due to my impatience.

I don't like being patient, but if I can learn to be patient and stick with the guitar fundamentals and practice each lesson till I get the hang of it than I will really start to enjoy playing more.

Well my progress is a long story..
I've been trying sence I was 12.. First guitar was, I think, Kay a spanish arch top. No guitar or music background in the family. No idea how to pick out a guitar. the action so high I never got past the pains stage or a chord if I even leard what a chord was.
Then went to drums, then bass. (Danelctro) I managed to keep up in Kids garage band.
From there I went into the military. Music stopped there for awhile.
After the navy I got married and decided to try guitar again.. I think that was an Ovation.. About sixth lesson I cut the tip of 3 fingers on my left hand. Don't ya know that the cuts where perfectly parallel with the guitar strings. Yipes, time to quit again.
Years later when my kids got into the hair bands I tried again. Also tried getting my daughter into music.. Well the lesson started out good. Not a lot of therory. Just making some music with some power chord. Love the teacher, but he decided to move to Dallas for better oppurtunities. Those were the Kramer Striker days. I had the Kramer (Roland DAC15 effects amp) for a good while but never got far in learning. Sold the Kramer when I was short on cash one summer.
Well, on to the Yamaha 12 string. I had a Mexican friend that was going to teach me but all he did was change the tuning and play his style. Sold him the guitar. Got what I paid for it.
I had my oldest daughter Macco (Korean) guitar for some times and manages do learn a bit, but never kept with it for very long. Gave that back to her for her boys.
Now to my present guitars and GUITAR TRICKS. I got an Alverez just to mess around with. Learned a bit more and strumming chords. Just had to redo the finger pain thing. I got a Tele after awhile and line 6 pocket pod..
Then along came GUITAR TRICKS.. I've been a full member off and on but never settled into a seriuos routine. Finally I was able to purchase a full year when I caught the $99 special..
Now I can't say I'm on a roll, but I've gone back to refresh myself on fundamentals 1 and finish up 2, get all the ones I've finished marked off. Which I am approimately 1/2 thourgh. I even have the F chord satisfactory.. Transiton in and out of the B is in process..
I still have not settle a genre direction. I just love anything guitar any most any kind of music..

Thanks Jon, Chris, Neil, Lisa, Hanpeter, Anders, and all the other instructors I didn't mention. You all do an awesome job
Yehaw GUITAR TRICKS

I'm thrilled with MY progress. I have joined two other sites as well as guitar tricks. I think GT is the best however I am learning from all three. My repertoire of songs is growing and the my technique is making leaps and bounds. Example the palm muting technique in Rebel Yell challenging and improving my skill. Plus I am playing everything at the desired tempo as per the metronome. It's not easy however that's how you improve. I have the finger picking pattern down to Dust in the Wind at 160, once I get to 188 I can do the song. If I can get it to 160 I can get it to 188. I am working hard at practicing scales with the metronome . I can do a chromatic scale at 110-115 I even peak to 120 but can't maintain it yet. I have a major scale pattern up to 95 and a pentatonic scale pattern at about the same. I try to master one or two patterns a month ( starting this October). 95 is short of my goal of 120 but it is the light at the end of the tunnel. Lastly, I am at the point where I can learn the rhythms of my desired songs at one sitting ( most of them).

Im doing really good. Practising 2-3 hours every day. Have learnd to play Person Jesus no. Have played it so much that I hear it everywhere and I even dream about me performing it. Realley sick.

Gona start level 1 country.

And when I get good enough I will make a youtube clip of me performing a song.
I hope to see others as well performing something.

I've improved a lot since I found this site a month ago. Before discovering this site, I didn't even know how to hold the guitar properly or how the parts worked. Now I not only understand how the guitar works, but also how to apply different techniques to my playing. I still need quite a lot of practice to play fast enough to keep up with the actual pace in the songs I'm learning.

It's interesting to read about how others are doing. I started with GT about 9 months ago at age 52 after a sporadic pecking away at the guitar over the span of my lifetime. I could play a few open chords and some sloppy renditions of a some popular intros (Stairway To Heaven) but no complete songs. I knew nothing about theory, how chords are formed, minor or major scale pattens etc. I was always amazed at how players could go all over the fretboard with their solos and never hit a bad note. How did they memorize all that?

Well, about 550 hours of practice later and with the help of the GT lessons I am starting to understand. I've completed the Fundamentals, Rock Levels I and II and Blues Level I, and am just starting Blues Level II. Taking the blues course right after the rock course helped clarify the theory and techniques that were confusing at first. I plan to do the country course right after blues. Hearing something repeated and explained by a different person in a different way can be very helpful.

At this stage I know more technique than songs, so I will be concentrating more on my song repertoire. I'm currently working on La Grange.

On a final note, I do keep track of time practiced and advocate it for anyone motivated to improve. It's a great way to set goals. I subscribe to the Malcolm Gladwell theory of 10,000 hours to maximize potential. My original goal was to complete 1000 hours in the first year. That would be about 3 hours a day with some days missed. That turned out to be a bit ambitious but by having the goal and keeping track of the time it kind of forced me to pick up the guitar everyday. This is not to say it should be all about the time, but if you are practicing accurately, trying to learn something new every day, and putting in the time, you can't help but get better.

Good luck to everyone with your progress!

Todd

I remember when I was a total beginner and this site helped me learn and it always helped me understand and play whatever style I was interseted in at the time. I use it a little less now since I got a fantastic private teacher but everytime I look through the lessons I always learn something I wish I knew before. This is a great site and has defientely helped me improve as a guitarist.

I have been playing for quite a number of years but lately (the last 5 years) if I try to play a power chord type song my wrist hurts like mad and my fingers cramp up. I was wondering if anybody had some similar problems and remedies

Greg